Just back from Vistana Villages-Awesome!

[gillytwins]

This was a great experience for our family! I know a lot of people have gone and are posting their reports, but if anyone has any questions, I would be happy to answer. There were only two things that I was not the happiest with, but won't complain too much because all around, it was awesome and we are going back next year!!!!!!! The first, is we were in building 10 ( I think this bldg is the farthest from the pool) If it were just myself and my husband, that would have been great because it is a very scenic walk to the pool. However, in tow were my two 5 year old twin boys who were running as fast as they could to swim in the best pool they have ever been in! and lagging behind was my 18 month old who wanted to stop and smell the flowers every 2 seconds! The twins would impatiently wait by the pool for us to show up 15 minutes later!!!!! It is actually only a 2-3 minute walk but with the 18 month old checking everything out, it took quite a bit longer. Not to mention all the floats, towels, drinks and shoes I am trying to lug!! No biggie though... a couple of times I just put the baby in the stroller and got there in no time. However, Next year, we will request a building closer. The other was maid service. When the maid came, she did a wonderful job. The problem was...when is she coming. The first three days, she came around 3pm. That was a little difficult, because the baby was napping and I had already put the dishes in the dishwasher because we used them all at breakfast and lunch. The last few days she came at 8:30-9:00 am, everyone was barely out of bed...Either way, the maid ended up cleaning around us most of the time. Still no biggie. I would definitely do it again!!! The place was immaculate and beautifully decorated. We also did the timeshare tour for $100 if anyone has questions on that. One thing to be aware of, Some friends went the same week and payed the same price through Hotel kingdom. However they ended up in a room at the end of the hallway, which was significantly smaller with no balcony (according to them). I'll check back for questions.

[dbark]

Hi, we just returned from VV also. We booked through Hotel Kingdom and got a great deal with one of the nights free. We were in Building 9, in a two bedroom. It was really fabulous! My three children, ages 9, 13 and 16 absolutely loved it. One great surprise we had was that there was a lot of teenagers there and our oldest had someone to play basketball, pool and volleyball with all the time. He was out every night on the grounds and had a great time! We were worried he'd have nothing to do. He didn't even want to go to dinner with us!
The pool was great! If I was to go there again I would request a building closer to the pool area, although, like you said it was a nice walk, but not if you wanted to run back and get something in the room! We chose not to do the tour even though they offered us $125. A couple of families we know went and also did not do the tour. We were just too busy!

Everyone loved the hotel and I'm so glad I searched these boards as I was making plans and learned about VV and Hotel Kingdom! What a huge savings! Thanks everyone.

I'd be happy to answer any questions, too!

[gillytwins]

As I was lounging by the pool, I would wonder as people passed by....."Is this person on the dis board?" I wanted so badly to go around to everyone and ask "Do you know what the Dis message boards are?" LOL ......I am glad you had a good time. I can't wait for next year!!!!

[mskani]

Glad to hear that you had such a good time at Vistana Villages. My family and I are staying there 6/2 thru 6/9. Some questions for you...

1) How was the drive from Vistana to the WDW property? Specifically, the traffic conditions and the actual time it took you to drive to the different parks.

2) Regarding the pool at Vistana, are there any kiddie water slides? Could you describe the pools a little bit.

3) Where is the closest grocery store?

Thanks in advance for responding.

[gillytwins]

It took 10-15 minutes max depending on the flow of traffic that day to get to Magic Kingdom and about 10 minutes to get to Islands of Adventure. It took 5-10 minutes to get to Downtown Disney for shopping. There is a publix grocery store close by and a walmart superstore 10-15 minutes away. When you leave the vistana driveway and take a right onto International drive, the first intersection with stop light you come to is Central Fl. Parkway. If you take a right at that light and go down 1/4 mile is a publix on the right. The lobby has directions written up for publix and walmart. RE: the pools. There are two pools. An absolutely huge and gorgeous pool that is free form in shape, with a waterfall cascading into it. It has zero depth entry. In the zero depth entry area is a little island with fountains spouting out for the kids to run through or play in. This section of the pool is quite large and wonderful for little ones who aren't too comfortable with the water. After that is another large section that is about 3 feet deep and then another larger section that goes up to 5 1/2-6 feet deep (I think that is the deepest it gets) There is a water volleyball net set up at all times. There are no kiddie water slides. However there is a little outdoor shop that offers float rentals or you can buy them. They are just like and floats that you see in toy stores or Walmart. To save money, I would purchase them before going. In this area is also a hot tub and a gated playground. On the other side of the large pool is the "quiet pool" and hot tub. There are no kiddie floats allowed here. It is geared more toward adults. We spent the entire time at the large pool. My twins are 5 1/2 years old. They spent most of the time in the 3 foot section jumping in the pool and running through the fountain island. My 18 month old spent most of his time in the zero depth entry along with all the other babies there. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.

[mskani]

Thanks for responding. I am so looking forward to this trip! I have a very stressful job and I need a vacation NOW! I don't think that I can hold out for another five and a half weeks. :Pinkbounc

[littleducksmom]

thanks you guys for your posts. we'll be there in late june with kids ranging from 19yo to 20 month old. sounds like something for everyone. did either of you use the shuttle to the parks? if you did any comments?

debbie

[Deborahsew]

Gillytwins

Can you tell me about the transportation at V.V.
How offen does the bus run?
Does it go to all the theme parks, including Universal Studio?

Thank You for your help.

:p :p :p :p :p

[dbark]

Hi - We did not use the transportation to get to the parks. If I recall correctly it was only available to WDW and it was limited. Using it you are really not free to come and go as you please. Having a car there was really necessary. The ride to every park was really just minutes away. While I'm on that subject we were so impressed with Disney's whole system and how easy and quick it was to park and get into parks. They do charge you $6.00 a day, but you can go back and forth for one fee. Universal, on the other hand, was a pain. You go through their gates and wait to pay $7.00 (I think it's 7) and then go in to a garage and then you follow a SERIES of auto. walkways to FINALLY get to the parks. After Disney, that was a real pain! SeaWorld was $7.00. We went to Discovery Cove, too. That was awesome. Sorry to get off track, but I started thinking about it and ...

[Deborahsew]

Thanks for the information dbark. :) :) :)

[jacrazy]

Ddbark, I am so relieved to hear that there were a lot of teenagers there. My DD (14 yo) and I will be at Vistana Resort in July and she is so upset that she'll have no kids to hang around with for a whole. I told her that she'll probably meet some at the pool. If there are lots of teenagers at VV, I'm sure they'll be at VR as well.

[gillytwins]

I had read on this board before we went that there were no potholders in the rooms. Of course, I forgot to bring my own. For the first couple of days I just used a dish towel and then on the 3rd day the maid left a potholder on the counter! So, if you get there and there are no potholders, just ask. Hope this helps someone. ps. they also provider dishwasher detergent.

[ClassicPooh2]

Gillytwins-
I'm glad I wasn't the only one sitting around the pool wondering who came to these boards.

We also had a great week at VV! We were in Building One. Nice location to the pool.
We found the VV to be a nice location to all things in the Orlando area, but away from the hustle and bustle of Int. Drive or 192.

If anyone has questions, I'll be happy to answer as well.

I'm so relaxed!!!1;)

[gillytwins]

Just curious for next years booking! I hear there are three different types of one bedrooms-the end lock off with no deck and small kitchenette, a straight room with deck of bedroom and then the largest of one bedrooms with is a full kitchen, full hot tub, with deck off of living room... and then of course the two bedroom. When were you there, maybe we spotted each other in passing. We were there from April 14-21.

[ClassicPooh2]

Hi Gillytwin-

We were there April 20-27.
We were in the small 1 bedroom of a lockout. It was fine for the two of us, but any more would have been crowded. We were on the first floor of building one room 101. This would have been at the end on the right hand side facing the building. We liked being on the first floor, but you did have to make sure the drapes/blinds were pulled! If I was to go with a one bedroom again I would definately want the bigger of the two. Two bedroom or Two bedroom lock-outs are certainly the better way if possible. We had gone through a RCI exchange and one bedroom was all that were available at that time.

We do plan to go back in the future. For us it was so relaxing. Just what we needed!

Did you have a great time?

[CHANB]

ClassicPooh2-How was your room

ClassicPooh2
Was the room you stayed in very small? I will be staying at VV next week in a one bedroom. Was the room nice?

[ClassicPooh2]

The smaller one bedroom is small, but for two people it was fine. If you were going to have more than that it would be tight. The place itself was nice and clean and well organized. The kitchen area is very small. It doesn't have a full sink, but a smaller square one. We just used the dishwasher;) We didn't spend alot of time in our room either.

Hope you have a great vacation!

The VV is easy access to anywhere that you want to go.

Enjoy!

[mskani]

Were you able to check in earlier than the posted check in time? Our plane arrives at MCO at 11:15 am, but check in isn't until 4:00pm. We have 5:30 ps at Chef Mickey's and would like to have enough time to unpack and freshen up.

Thanks for all of your help so far.

Four weeks (28 days and counting) until my next visit with the MOUSE!!!! :bounce:

[klynn]

mskani,

We just got back tonight from a 7 night stay at VV. On Wed. I was in the clubhouse utilitizing the fax service and someone next to me was checking in - it was about 11:30 in the morning. They were told as long as their room was ready they could check in.

[mskani]

Thanks. I kind of figured that we would be okay. But, you just don't want any last minute surprises. Glad to hear that you got back safely. Please post a trip report and pictures!

[gillytwins]

They will hold your luggage for you while you enjoy the facilities (until your room is ready). Also, they do the same at check out. They don't allow early check out but you are free to enjoy the facilities all day even after checkout. We did this. We were just not ready to go home. 35 degree weather in upstate NY vs. 95 degrees in FL.....hmmm...let me think about that for a second....oh I think we'll hang out at the pool as long as we can!!!!!!

One other thing to consider when checking in. Some friends of our arrived early and checked in. However, the only one bedrooms available that early were the smaller one bedrooms. That might be fine for you (not sure how many people yo have going)...but our friends were disappointed, because when we checked in around 6Pm we were given the deluxe one bedroom (a lot more room, especially for having three screaming kids running around). If this is a concern for you, just ask what types of rooms are available when you check in. Good luck

[Deborahsew]

Iam really glad you mention the different room size. We will be going with 2 adults and 2 children. What size one bedroom would be good for us? The children are 4 and 8. Can we request the size room we want months in advance?:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[gillytwins]

The deluxe for us was a full size kitchen including stove, oven and microwave. It also had a full double sink with garbage disposal, full refrigerator with icemaker in freezer, dishwasher. washing machine and dryer. Along the kitchen was a breakfast bar with two stools. The dining room had a dining room with seating for six. The living room had a pull out queen sofa, two chairs, wet bar type set up with sink and wine rack in living room, Tv, vcr and stereo. The patio was gated and screened from top to bottom with a round table and 4 chairs. A ceiling fan and light were on the patio. The bedroom had a King or California King (huge bed), a sitting chair, two night stands, tv, full size hot tub, large closet, vanity, sink and mirror. There were 3 doors. One led to the patio (there is also a sliding glass door in living room to patio), the second door leads into the living room and third door into the bathroom which contained another vanity and mirror, toilet, stall shower. Through this part of the bathroom is another door leading to another area, with another vanity and mirror!!!!!! 5 sinks total in this place!!!! This little room was used mostly for guests changing clothes after pool. ok phew I think I got it all. Now, the difference between our room and our friends room, who payed the same amount. They did not have a patio, oven (they had a convection/microwave), stereo, no dining room (a table in the living room with seating for 4), no double wide sink, but a small basin sink in kitchen, hot tub was more along the lines of a larger bath tub with jets, no breakfast bar. The entire room was smaller than our area. I personally did not see this room, so I am relying on my friends report and my husbands memory (he saw it).

My twin 5 1/2 year old boys slept on the pull out bed and were fine all week. My 18 month old son slept in a packnplay in our room. My husband and I were discussing whether to get a one or two bedroom next year. We are going to go with the one bedroom again. Once my youngest will no longer sleep in a packnplay, then we will go for the two bedroom.

Honestly, I do not know how we ended up with the deluxe and our friends did not. I can tell you a few thing that may or may not have made a difference. 1. When we booked thru Hotel kingdom, they asked if we would be willing to do the timeshare tour for $100. We opted to do this. Our friends declined. 2. Our friends checked in on Sat earlier in the day. We checked in on
Sun around 6:30pm. (Our friends did question why they were given a smaller room, the staff told them that when they checked in, that was the only room available at that time. They said they would be glad to switch their room, if the bigger became available. Our friends decided they did not want the hassle of repacking everything and stayed where they were. )
I guess if I were you, I would call Hotel Kingdom to see what they can do for you. I know that when we book for next year, I will do everything I can to get the bigger room. It was nice to have the space. We chose to do only two parks for the week, so we were able to enjoy the hotel. For someone who is going to be at theme parks a lot and not spending much time at the hotel, the smaller one would probably be fine. Good luck. Sorry to ramble. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[CHANB]

ClassicPooh2
Was there a king size bed in the smaller one bedrooms?

[Deborahsew]

Will I be able to get car rental service at Vistana Villages?
How is the hotel bus service to the parks in the month of December?
Do they have any buses that go to Universal Studios?

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

[gillytwins]

I doubt it....I have a brochure that I brought home with me and car rental service is not listed.
According to the brochure, there is no shuttle bus to Universal. It says, "scheduled complimentary transportation to Walt Disney World Theme Parks for rental guests." We had our own vehicle, so I don't know much about the transportation. Sorry

CHANB-Some friends of ours were in a smaller one bedroom and they did have a King. Hope this helps.

[ClassicPooh2]

Yes, it did have a king size bed. It was comfortable too! The room had two nightstands, a dresser, TV, and closet.

Gillytwin could fit a packnplay in the larger one bedroom. We would not have been able to do this in the smaller part. All space was utilized.

Deborahsew- I would recommend a car, as you are far enough away from many of the activities in the area. I also saw no rental available onsite. How are you arriving? I just think it would be more convenient to have your own vehicle. I don't know for sure how the shuttle worked to Disney, but it can be difficult to follow someone elses schedule:)

[Deborahsew]

Thanks for responding so fast. As you can see Iam very interested
in this resort. We will be going in December.

:Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

[gillytwins]

You will absolutely love it! I can't say enough about it. I wanna go back right now!!!!! I am not usually that way, but I can't help it.

[disneymom3]

We are debating between HGVC and Vistana Villages. One of the minor differences--they are all pretty minor--is that HGVC has an elevator and I cannot find anywhere that says if VV does or not.

Seems REALLY minor, I know, but we'll have a two and a half year old and a 1 year old when we go and after a day at the parks, hauling them up two flights of stairs sometimes seems like it's impossible!

Sooo, is there an elevator and if not how many floors are there? We're doing a timeshare exchange and don't have a lot of choice in where they put us. Thanks.

[klynn]

VV has elevators!

[gillytwins]

with tired 5 1/2 year old boys and 18 month old, I sure didn't feel like walking up 4 flights to our room.

[Deborahsew]

Do you remember your room number?
Iam going to see if I can request the same one bedroom villa you had. With two children we will need the larger room.

Has anyone ever called the hotel and made a request and received it?

[Deborahsew]

Gillytwins my question is for you. I don't know why your name did not print out in the post subject box.

[gillytwins]

We were in building 10 Room 402. Building 10 is pretty far. Next time I think I will request building 2 and see if they have a Room 402 also. It is much closer to everything. I am not sure if you can request a specific room number. I have seen a lot of people on the board requesting building numbers though. Maybe someone else will have an answer for you. Hope this helps!